An Alternate Tragedy
by Corrah
Summary: Oneshot. Axel meets with Roxas in Twilight Town who has no idea who "Axel" is. Axel then lets his imagination soar and wonders what would have happened if Roxas had heard him mutter those two words...


"Please," Axel begged him, dropping to his knees. He slowly lifted his head up to look at his best friend's crystal blue eyes, revealing a side of him that he had never shown before now. All he wanted was to be remembered. Being a Nobody is a tragedy in itself, but finding room in a non-existent heart for a bright-eyed blonde and then losing them may even be worse. Roxas, turning his body away from the kneeling boy closed his eyes, sighing sadly.

"I don't know who you are, okay? I'm- I'm sorry," said the boy. That's all he could really say, because he truly didn't remember, and for that, he was truly sorry. Axel then stood, brushed off his cloak gently, and spun on his heels, determined not to cry in front of the boy who did not remember him. Roxas then stepped forward and grabbed onto Axel's arm, making him jump. He turned slowly to meet the smaller boy's gaze. Roxas opened his mouth to speak, but no words passed his lips. He just took the man's hand, gave it a squeeze, and ran off in the other direction. Axel was about to pursue him, but he stopped himself as he took his first step - Roxas didn't remember him anymore, and that was a fact. Axel leaned against the nearest wall and slid down, landing roughly on the ground. He knew for a fact that he didn't have a heart, but the unending agony he was feeling inside his chest could have fooled him. He closed his piercing green eyes and tried to pinpoint the exact moment in which his fate was sealed...

"No one would miss me," Roxas called over his shoulder, stopping for a moment. He then looked straight, his face emotionless, and began walking again. Axel stepped forward, gasping quietly.

"That's not true," he said quietly. "I would." Axel knew not if Roxas had heard, but away Roxas walked. Their almost-year-long friendship ended in just a few seconds.

Axel was jolted back into reality and jumped up when he had noticed that the sun had gone down, and a bright sunset had colored the sky a beautiful orange. Axel's heart skipped a beat when he thought about meeting Roxas and Xion for ice cream at the clocktower, but upon facing the reality of things, he lowered his head and walked toward the clock tower alone.

When he had finally reached the top, he took a seat on the ledge, looking to his left to see two worn-down spots in the edge where his only friends had once sat. He then stared into the distance, wishing he had done something - anything - to keep his best friend by his side. His eyes slowly closed as he imagined things differently...

"No one would miss me," Roxas said again over his shoulder toward his only remaining friend. He then began walking again, staring directly ahead. Axel then clenched his fists.

"That's not true," he said quietly. Then, surprising himself, he stepped out of the shadows and said loudly, "I would." Roxas, hearing this, gasped quietly and stopped walking for a moment. He let Axel's words sit in his mind for a few seconds before shaking his head and walking again, this time a bit faster. He knew what he had to do, and no one, not even Axel, would change his mind. Axel, taking control of the situation this time, ran forward and grabbed Roxas' arm. Roxas, startled, broke free from Axel's grasp and quickly summoned his Keyblade. Axel squinted his eyes in anger and summoned his Chakrams in one swift, fiery motion.

"How dare you turn your weapon on me, Rox?!" he yelled, not caring who heard. Roxas only gripped his weapon harder.

"You know as well as I do that this is something that must be done. Just let me go, Axel," Roxas countered with an aggravated swing from his weapon. Axel felt a warm, damp stream fall down his face as he swung his weapons close to Roxas.

"No! I won't let you do this, I can't!" Axel yelled back, even louder than before. Just as Roxas was about to strike Axel with his keyblade, the redhead swung the dullest point of his Chakrams at the back of Roxas' head. He immediately dropped his keyblade, and it vanished before it even reached the ground. His eyes then shut quickly and he began to fall forward. Like his keyblade, Roxas never touched the ground. Axel was there to catch him as he fell toward the cold cement. With liquid still pouring down his face, he carried the blonde into a dark portal and it closed silently behind him.

Roxas awoke hours later. Somehow, he had gotten to the clocktower in Twilight Town, and next to him sat Axel. Instantly, Roxas shot up and backed away from Axel. Axel then stood up slowly and faced his friend.

"You knocked me out and stopped me from leaving," Roxas said, slowly processing everything. Axel stepped closer. Roxas stayed put.

"I had to, Rox. You were about to leave, and I don't want to lose you," Axel said, stepping closer once again. Roxas shifted his glance towards the orange sunset and then stepped up onto the ledge, turning back towards Axel. His cloak blew in the wind as Axel rushed to him, embracing him gently to avoid knocking him off. Roxas, despite his anger, embraced him back, burying his face into Axel's shoulder, and they both knew why. Roxas' decision was not easy. If he didn't have to go through with it, he wouldn't. But he did. Just like Xion did.

Axel then let go of Roxas and held out his hand. Roxas took it and squeezed it before closing his eyes, spreading his arms out, and falling backwards off of the clocktower. Axel rushed to the edge and practically screamed at the sight. Time seemed to slow down as Roxas made his peaceful decent, and right as he reached the ground...

It was over. The wind whistled through Axel's fiery hair as he stood on the edge of the tower - one foot where he used to sit and the other where Roxas did. He closed his eyes, spread his arms out, and peacefully fell backwards off of the clocktower like Roxas had in his daydream. Down and down he fell, only opening his eyes when he was almost to the ground. He looked back up and could have sworn that a blonde boy in a black cloak was looking down at him frantically, holding his hand out over the edge as if he could help somehow. The boy's face looked scared and upset, but it couldn't be helped anymore. Axel reached his right arm up in the air as if to grab the boy's hand, but it was too late. Right as he reached the ground...

His body went limp and a cloud of darkness covered him, pulling him into its depths. Never again would he see his best friend - or the light.


End file.
